Life saver package



March 27, 1962 H. E. ENGLESON ET AL LIFE SAVER PACKAGE Original FiledOct. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: HARRY E. ENGLESON ELMER D,SRAMEK ATT'YS W VM March 27, 1962 H. E. ENGLESON ET AL 3 LIFE SAVERPACKAGE Original Filed Oct. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: HARRYE. ENGLESON ELMER D. SRAMEK W M, rnzv ATT YS United States Patent ()fiRe. 25,143 Rei'ssuecl Mar. 27, 1962 p ice 15,143 t LIFE. SAVER PACKAGEHarry E. Engleson, Morton Grove, and Elmer D. Sramek,

Cicero, 11L, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Crompton KnowlesPackaging Corporation, Holyoke, Mass, a corporation of MassachusettsOriginal No, 2,926,833, dated Mar. 1, 1960, Ser. No.

616,823, Oct. 18, 1956. Application for reissue Aug.

25, 1961, S'er. No. 134,054

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the'original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to an improved package and method of making same,and more particularly to a package having novel means for opening oneend and permitting access thereto.

The present invention is primarily useful in wrapping stacks of'tabletso'r candies which are generally circular in shape althou'ghother uses and purposes will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Byway of specific example, a stack of hardened candies, each being annularin shape,

are positioned in end to end relationship and wrapped with a sheet oflaminated material, and with the opposite ends being folded against theopposite ends of the stack. A flexible opening member in the form of astrand or thread is secured along the inner face of the wrappingmaterial and atone end thereto near a folded end portion. One end ofth'estrand or thread is arranged to protrude from the package so that'it may be pulled wherein the corresponding end portion will be tornloose thereby opening the package at one end.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novelpackage and method of making same.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a novel packageand method of making same which carries a flexible opening means foropening the package and providing access thereto.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of anovel package having means for opening same, wherein said means addslittle cost and weight to the package while permitting the package to beopened more easily and quickly. W V

A further object of this invention is to provide a package having anopeningelernent of thread for opening same which is secured to the innerface of the wrapper to assure tearing of the wrapper during pulling 'ofthe thread for opening the package.

A still further object of this invention is in the provision of apackage having a flexible opening thread secured to its inner face andlocated at one end for removing a folded end portion by creating a lineof tear around the package.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package including agroup of articles that are peripherally wrapped with a sheet oflaminated material which carries an opening thread along the inner faceof the inner ply and which has a free end protruding from the package,whereby pulling of the free end of the thread effects the tearingoperation with respect to the wrapper so that the package may be openedand the articles therein easily removed.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like referencenumerals "refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stack of articles in position withrespect to a sheet of wrapping material, illustrating the first step informing the package according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views illustrating subsequent steps in theformation of the package according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the step of opening thecompleted package with the opening element in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the package, with a portionbroken away to show underlying and other parts in section;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 illustrate a modification of the invention andthe successive steps performed during the formation of the package;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 11-11 of FIG. 7; and

FIG, 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the package, with aportion broken away to show the posi tioning of the openingthread in thecompleted package.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, a plurality of articles 10positioned in end-to-end relationship define a stack 11 which is adaptedto be encased in a sheet of flexible wrapping paper 12. This sheet issubstantially rectangular in shape and includes opposite parallel endedges13'and 14, and top and bottom edges 15 and 16, respectively.Further, the sheet of wrapping paper 12 is made of the material Raysealwhich includes an outer layer of aluminum foil 17 and an inner layer ofwaxen paper 18, these layers being bonded to one another to define thecomposite sheet 12.

A flexible opening element 19, which may be defined as a strand orfilament of thread is positioned in spaced relationship to the top edge15 and parallel thereto with one end terminating at the end edge 14 andthe other end protruding beyond the other end edge 13 to define a freeend 20. This thread 19 is suitably fastened to the inner face of thewrapping sheet 12 by a suitable thermoplastic 21, such as wax.

The stack of articles 11 is of such height as to position the uppermostarticle 10 just below the opening element 19 and the lowermost article10 in spaced relationship above the bottom edge 16 such as along thedotted line indicated at 22. The axis of the stack of articles 11 willbe normal to the top and bottom edges 15 and 16. Then the sheet 12 isperipherally arranged around the stack of articles 11 so that the endedge 13 and a portion of the sheet adjacent thereto overlaps the endedge 14 and a portion of the sheet'adjacent thereto, wherein the packagetakes the form as shown in FIG. 2 having opposite open ends 23 and 24.The portion of the sheet 12 adjacent the opposite edge 13 will beheat-sealed to the portion of the sheet adjacent the edge 14 to preventthe passage of air therebetween.

In further closing the package, the opposite open ends 23 and 24 arefolded over in the conventional manner to define at each end a pluralityof overlying folds, as seen in FIG. 3, thereby defining folded endportions 25. The opposite folded ends 25 are heat-sealed in order tohold the folds in position and prevent the entrance of air into thepackage. In order to properly heat-seal the folded ends, it is necessaryto perforate the foil layer so the wax can melt through and provide aseal between foil to foil surfaces. Alternatively, melting wax may beadded to the foil side of the wrapper to effect this seal.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 5, a folded end 25 defines, with the sidewalls of the package, an annular crease 26. The articles are flat alongtheir side edges as indicated at 27, and then bulge upwardly anddownwardly as indicated at 28 in relative pillow fashion, the endarticle defining with the folded end 25 of the package an annularchamber 29. It is then seen that the opening thread 19 is positionedwithin this chamber and at the crease 26.

After the heat-sealing operation on the folded ends of the package, anouter band 30 is applied about the peripheral surface of the wrapper forpurposes of labeling the contents of the package,

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the free end 20 of the opening thread 19protrudes beyond the overlapping edge 13, and when this free end ispulled, the entire folded end portion 25 is torn from the package asshown in FIG. 4. In other words, a line of tear at the crease 26 will beeffected by pulling the free end of the opening thread, thereby openingone end of the package and permitting the removal of the articlestherefrom.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 10, inclusive, substantially the samearrangement is disclosed except that the wrapper consists of an innersheet of waxen paper 31 and a separate outer sheet of foil 32. In otherwords, instead of employing a single laminated sheet, as shown in FIGS.1 to 5, two separate wrapping sheets may be used. Otherwise, thispackage is formed in a manner similar to that already set forth inconnection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, wherein the openingthread 19 is secured to the inner waxen sheet 31 and the wrapping sheets31 and 32 are peripherally arranged about the stack of articles 11 withthe opposite ends being folded in, as indicated at 33. However, in thisembodiment, it will be noted that the wax wrapping sheet 31 is firstarranged twice around the stack of articles, FIG. 7, and then the foilwrapping sheet 32 is peripherally arranged once about the wrapped sheet31, FIGS. 8 and 9. Note in FIG. 8 that 4 dinal axis of the package, anopening thread arranged at one end of the package along the inner sideof said wrapping material adjacent one of the folded ends and subthefoil sheet is positioned a slight distance from the edge of the waxsheet when it is started to be wrapped about the package. By pulling thefree end 20 of the opening thread, the adjacent folded end portions 33,36 will be torn from the package allowing access thereinto.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 12, the folded end 33 defines, with theside walls of the package, an annular crease 34. The articles are likethose shown in FIG. 5 and likewise define an annular chamber 35 with thefolded end 33. It is seen that the opening thread 19 is positionedsubstantially in the crease 34 along the inner side of the wrappingsheet 31 and secured thereto by a suitable thermoplastic.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedWithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention, but it is understood that this application is to be limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A package comprising a sheet of wrapping material wrapped around astack of cylindrical articles, the opposite ends of the material beingfolded tightly against the opposite ends of the stack thereby definingannular creases extending through parallel planes normal to thelongitustantially in alignment with the annular crease at said end, saidthread being secured to the wrapping material,

said opening thread being arranged substantially in the said plane ofthe crease, one end of said opening thread protruding laterally from thepackage, and said opening thread serving as an opening element for thepackage, whereby pulling of said one end of the thread efiects a tearingof the wrapper along the line of securement thereby removing thecorresponding folded end for access into the package.

2. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the sheet of wrappingmaterial is wrapped once around the stack of cylindrical articles.

3. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the sheet of wrappingmaterial is wrapped at least twice around the stack of cylindricalarticles.

4. A package comprising a sheet of wrapping material wrapped around anarticle of substantially uniformly dimension, the opposite ends of thematerial being folded tightly against the opposite ends of the articleand defining peripheral creases lying in parallel planes normal to thelongitudinal axis of the package, an opening thread arranged at one endof the package along the inner side of said wrapping material adjacentone of the folded ends and substantially coinciding with the peripheralcrease at said end, said thread being secured to the wrapping material,said opening thread being arranged substantially in the said plane ofthe crease, one end of said opening thread protruding laterally from thepackage, and said opening thread serving as an opening element for thepackage, whereby pulling of said one end of the thread effects a tearingof the wrapper along the line of securement thereby removing thecorresponding folded end for access into the package.

References Cited in the file of this patent

